


In Need of Some Magic

by she_who_the_river_could_not_hold



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, One Shot, Witches, but Lucas definitely falls for her right away, they're not actually together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 18:36:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14959946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/she_who_the_river_could_not_hold/pseuds/she_who_the_river_could_not_hold
Summary: When his best friend Will mysteriously vanishes from the village, Lucas takes it upon himself to reach out to the witch that lives just on the outskirts in the forest. But the equally mysterious Mad Max isn’t who he was expecting, and it turns out she has her own disappearance on her hands as well.





	In Need of Some Magic

A small, stone house appeared through the trees. Tendrils of smoke shimmered in and out of sight from the chimney on the thatched roof and there’s a strong smell of some sort of herbal and spicy smell.

 

Lucas took a couple last large steps through the high grass to get himself closer. He nervously had his hand on the hilt of the short sword at his side, though he was sure he was being overly paranoid. But still, he never went into anything unprepared. He’s nearly on top of the house now and he takes in the site of a garden and a… cauldron? Yes, that’s definitely a cauldron. It doesn’t appear to be in use though and he’s a bit relieved at that. He’s not quite _that_ prepared for what he’s getting himself into.

 

There doesn’t appear to be anyone outside though so he begins to make his way towards the door. When he knocks, it’s followed by silence. He tilts back to double check that there’s smoke still coming out of the chimney before raising his fist to knock again.

 

“Looking for somebody?”

 

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Lucas whirled around to find the source of the question.

 

A girl, maybe his age, was standing behind him. Her knowing, mischievous grin causes her freckles to crinkle and her cascading red hair shone in the afternoon sun.

 

“I’m—I’m looking for the witch, Mad Max. Is he here?” Lucas managed to stutter out, taken aback by her presence. 

 

She cocked her head at him, her smile growing wider. But rather than answer him, she simply walked past him and pushed open the door and disappeared inside. But when she didn’t close the door behind her, he took it as a sign for him to follow. 

 

He slowly closed the door as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The girl was placing down the basket she had been balancing on her hip and seemed to be ignoring him, so he took in his new surroundings. There was a fire pit shoved into the back of the room, the source of the smoke he had seen earlier. A small cauldron sat atop a large table, the rest of it covered by piles of stones, herbs, and a scattering of books. It looks like a carved, wooden bed is in the opposite corner, shrouded by darkness as it sat away from the one window the house had. 

 

Lucas inhaled deeply, taking in the smells of the place. It smelled like earth, spice, and what was apparently some meat if he saw the poker correctly that was hovering over the fire.

 

Not allowing himself to get too distracted though, he refocused on the girl who was watching him curiously.

 

“I don’t mean to bother you,” he said quickly. “If I just could just speak with him I would really appreciate it. It’s an important matter.”

 

“Why are you so sure it’s a ‘he’ that you’re looking for?”

 

Lucas started to say something but then stopped himself. He actually had only ever heard stories of a Mad Max, the witch on the outskirts of the village. Who would occasionally perform spells for people, but only a select few and that was even if you believed that the magic was real. But he had never heard if Mad Max was indeed a male witch…

 

As the thoughts arranged themselves in his mind, he looked back at the girl who was clearly trying to stifle a laugh.

 

It dawned on him then.

 

“You’re Mad Max?” He asked, his voice incredulous. 

 

“The one and only,” she responded wryly. “It’s certainly better than just being called Maxine.”

 

Lucas found himself smiling back at her, nearly laughing at the whole situation. It seemed so absurd that this tiny, redheaded girl was this famed Mad Max but it made it all seem so much more fitting.

 

“I guess Maxine doesn’t sound like as interesting of a name for a witch,” he agreed, stepping closer into the home. 

 

“What was it you needed?”  


 

Lucas took a deep breath at that, glad that she hadn’t strayed too far from the topic of why he was there. _He didn’t normally have this hard of a time staying focused._

 

“My friend, Will. He’s gone missing and it’s been at least five days. But no one knows where he went and his—”

 

“William Byers?” Max’s voice is sharp as she interrupts him. “I heard people talking about him at the market the other day. They say he vanished in thin air.”

 

Lucas nodded grimly.

 

“Jonathan, his older brother, says he had gone outback to get more wood and when he never came back, he went out and there wasn’t a trace of him.”

 

While Lucas talked, Max had made her way across the floor, practically floating underneath the long, layered black skirt she wore. A small part of Lucas’ mind whispered that it wasn’t completely illogical to think she had floated, she was a witch after all, but he pushed that aside. He could ask her later, right now he needed to know if she could help. 

 

He didn’t continue his story though, noting her distraction as she yanked a trunk out from underneath the table. It groaned at the hinges as she thrust it open, a cloud of dust cascading out. They both coughed but otherwise ignored it. Lucas watched intently as Max pulled a somewhat cloudy crystal ball out it, followed by something that looked similar to a stone carved in the shape of a bird’s claw. 

 

Placing the crystal ball onto the small stand, she then turned to Lucas. He was taken aback by the urgency in her bright blue eyes and he found himself instinctively stepping closer to her.

 

“When exactly did Will disappear? Please, try to think of the exact day,” she said, her voice wavering just a bit at the end.

 

Lucas wracked his brain quickly, thinking of ways to figure out exactly what day it was.

 

He snapped his fingers.

 

“It was exactly five days ago, it was the day before the caravans came in for the festival coming up. We were confused as to why he hadn’t shown up to see them come in, he always purchases new paints when they come in.”

 

“Five days ago?” Max repeated.

 

Lucas nodded, confused. He couldn’t figure out what was making her so agitated, he wasn’t aware that they would have known each other. 

 

She quickly sits down and gestures for him to sit in the one next to her. 

 

As she runs her hands just over the crystal ball, she glances over at him.

 

“My sister, well my sister in witchcraft, disappeared five days ago. I’d sent her out to pick more of the mushrooms we needed and she just vanished. And I know El would never just leave me,” her eyes dart back to the crystal ball.

 

“Will wouldn’t either,” Lucas said softly, his heart suddenly aching at the idea of Max being suddenly alone out here. 

 

She looked back at him at that, a more timid, gentler smile gracing her features.

 

“Well, first tell me your name and then we’ll find our friends.”

 

“Lucas, my name is Lucas.”

 

She nodded, as if approving his name, before focusing back on the crystal ball. Her eyes fluttered shut and her palms rested on the table as she took deep breaths.

 

Lucas made sure to stay silent, watching as she did this briefly before placing her hands on the crystal ball. Her hands then moved across it, circling it a handful of times before returning to have one on each side of it. She was so still for a moment that Lucas nearly leaned out of his seat to check that she was still breathing, but then her eyes opened up. 

 

She bent at the waist and stared deeply into it, Lucas finding himself desperately wishing he could see whatever it was she was seeing. Max seemed to be staring at one specific spot and he wondered briefly if it would break the moment if he got up to stand behind her and peer over her shoulder.

 

He didn’t get to find out though because she suddenly straightened back up and let out a shuddering breath.

 

“I think I know where they are,” she said once she had caught her breath, looking back over at Lucas who was staring at her entranced.

 

“Can we go tonight?” Lucas asked, jumping to his feet.

 

“Are you planning on joining me?” Back was her small smirk that she had worn when she had found him.

 

“Of course,” he scoffed. “Actually if you don’t mind, I think my other friends would like to come as well.”

 

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and shrugged.

 

“Why not? The more the merrier and,” she got out of the chair, “we’ll probably need all the help we can get if we’re going to rescue them.”

 

Lucas paused at that. 

 

“Rescue them…?”

 

Max grinned at him, already beginning to compile a rucksack of materials (and he’s pretty sure he saw one or two daggers get tossed in as well).

 

“I’ll explain more on the way, go get the rest of the party and meet me back here as soon as possible. But yes Lucas, we’re going on a rescue mission. And thank goodness you came to me for help, you’re going to definitely need a witch on your side.”


End file.
